Field of Invention
The present invention is directed to battery-operated, autonomous data recording devices, and more particularly to an enclosure that is particularly suited to supporting acoustic equipment in harsh environments.
Discussion of Related Art
There are many applications for automated data collection. In particular, the collection of audio data in the field can be used to monitor populations of wildlife, such as birds, bats, frogs and whales for presence, absence, and abundance data for specific species.
One of the greatest challenges in the deployment of data collection equipment in the field is maintaining the integrity of an enclosure supporting the acoustic equipment that is used to record audio, infrasonic and ultrasonic signals. Remote locations can include very harsh environments, which impacts the ability of the enclosure to effectively operate in that climate conditions may penetrate the enclosure. One particular challenge is replacing batteries within the enclosure while maintaining the integrity of the enclosure after the replacement process. The act of opening the enclosure to access and replace batteries in the enclosure oftentimes compromises the integrity of the enclosure.